Crosscurrent cover and blurb!

Crosscurrent

StarWars.com has the first look at Paul Kemp’s Crosscurrent. Head over to check out Dave Seeley’s full cover.

An ancient Sith ship hurtles into the future carrying a lethal cargo that could forever destroy Luke Skywalker’s hopes for peace.

The Civil War is almost over when Jedi Knight Jaden Korr experiences a Force vision so intense he must act. Enlisting two salvage jocks and their ship, Jaden sets out into space. Someone — or something — appears to be in distress.

But what Jaden and his crew find confounds them. A five-thousand-year-old dreadnaught — bringing with it a full force of Sith and one lone Jedi — has inadvertently catapulted eons from the past into the present. The ship’s weapons may not be cutting-edge, but its cargo, a special ore that makes those who use the dark side nearly invincible, is unsurpassed. The ancient Jedi on board is determined to destroy the Sith. But for Jaden, even more is at stake: for his vision has led him to uncover a potentially indestructible threat to everything the Jedi Order stands for.

The book is scheduled for January 26.

Roundup: More Star Wars/San Diego announcements

Pepto Vader knows where you liveFirst up, check out some of the exclusives and swag that Star Wars folks will be offering at the con. ($6 from every Gentle Giant pink Vader, right, will go to breast cancer research and education.) There’s even stuff for us folks stuck at home, although the Comic-Con link seems tenuous.

  • Record your own Star Wars memories on the floor of Comic-Con to submit them to Lucasfilm’s historical archive.
  • Reps from Lucasfilm Licensing and Lucasfilm Animation will be on hand for portfolio reviews
  • LucasArts will have events on The Old Republic as well as the chance for fans to play The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes, as well as something at the Star Wars Spectacular. (Great…)

Could David Tennant be playing Bilbo Baggins?

Geoff Boucher pointed out yesterday that David Tennant is heading to San Diego for the first time – ostenibly to promote his last spin as Doctor Who – and could that perhaps mean he’s won the lead role in The Hobbit? Others are taking the speculation as an excuse to crow that it’s a done deal, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

As for Peter Jackson, he’s denying that we’ll get any casting news at Comic-Con.

Boucher’s also running an opinion poll, where Atonement’s James McAvoy is just narrowly beating Tennant.

Emmy’s are Diggin’ the Geeks

The Emmy Award Nominations are out and the geeks seem to be doing the same as always.  But hey, the folks who do all the technical stuff work hard on it.  Let’s congratulate the great crew of our favorite geeky shows on jobs well done.  (And there are some major ones in there.)

  • Robot Chicken – Animation Series,  and Voiceover for the Star Wars Episode II episode
  • The Big Bang Theory – Best Comedic Actor, Art Direction
  • Lost – Best Drama Series, Best Supporting Actor, Sound Editing (Series), Writing (Drama)
  • Heroes – Art Direction, Visual Effects (Series)
  • Battlestar Galactica – Directing (Drama), Single-Camera Editing (Hour-Long), Sound Editing (Episode), Sound Editing (Series), Visual Effects (Series) and Short-format Live-Action Entertainment Program
  • Legend of the Seeker – Original Music Composition
  • Smallville – Sound Editing
  • Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog – Short-format Live-Action Entertainment Program
  • Terminator – Sound Editing
  • Sanctuary – Visual Effects (Series)
  • Chuck – Stunts

We scour the complete PDF so you don’t have to!

The fandom minute: Dixie Cups, Jackson’s collection, fan art, Conan O’Brien, Yoda’s self-help debut

Collecting. Star Wars Dixie Cups of yore. Or, get a virtual tour of Michael Jackson’s game room/collection gallery, which includes some great Star Wars stuff.

Fan Art. Tom Whalen’s stylized Return of the Jedi poster.

TV. Conan O’Brien jokes about the Vader toaster. I’m just relieved that someone else is underwhelmed by it.

Jedi, heal thyself. Only What You Take With You: Paths to confronting your fears, battling your demons and fufilling your potential.

First season collection of The Clone Wars coming to DVD and Blu-Ray on November 3

Bryan Young has the specs – and cover – on the set from Lucasfilm and Warner Home Video. Bonus features include seven Director’s Cut Episodes, featurettes for each episode (though that sounds like the ones we’ve already seen on StarWars.com,) and a 64-page production journal. The Blu-Ray version will also come with The Jedi Temple Archives, “An extensive database exploring test footage, early concept art, 3-D character and object turnarounds and early animation.”

The suggested retail price is $44.98 for DVD and $59.99 for Blu-ray.

ETA: On StarWars.com.